Waist grip belt strap



March 18, 1952 A. GRISANTI WAIST GRIP BELT STRAP Original Filed Nov. 24, 1948 INVENTOR. GRISANTI AMBDEO Patented Mar. 18, 1952 Substituted for abandonedapplication Serial No.

61,870, November 24, 1948.

This application March 17, 1951, Serial No. 216,137

.8 Claims. (Cl. 2-237) This invention relates to new and useful provements in belt-type waist-grip means for articles of apparel such as mens trousers, andi; more particularly, the aim is to provide a novel and valuable waist-grip means for 'attachment..-a to the outside of the waist portion of the garment. This is a substitute for my abandoned application, filed on November 24, 1948,-Serial'-N0. 61,870.

The invention, for purposes of illustration and to emphasize What is now deemed to be a prime utility thereof, will from now on be described 2 waist-grip :means having all the above recited advantages, yet one which, nevertheless, is .ex-

"""ceedi-ngly simple in construction and or relatively s'tantia'lly alike p'luraL-strap assemblies, each including a non-stretchable strap element and a with relation to its use in connection with 'mens 5 trousers, as a substitute for the usual beltand/or suspenders, and one of marked superiority there over.

The main object of the invention is not merely to support the trousers comfortably at the waist;

' portion thereof, but also to save clothing manulfacturers and retailers the necessity of having td make previously required alteration and other expenditures, these add to a tremendous annual total in the industries involved, and to avoid in that connection the use of badly needed labor." For example, all the seven conventional belt loops?! around the outside of the waist may be "eliminated; and from 60 to 70% of the ordinary encountered alterations of taking in and letting out the trousers will no longer be necessary. Aside from theseadvantages, there is saved for thepure chaser of the trousers the expense of buying belts; and the bother of transferring a belt from one pair of trousers to another is obviated.

A feature of the invention is that the new waist-grip means, because it can be made of the same material as the trousers or of a material I stylishly conformable to the trousers material, will add to the attractiveness of the trousers.

A .f-urther feature of the invention, one au'obably of most importance from the standpoint of the purchaser, is that the new waist-grip means will automatically function, and in a completely concealed manner although said means is at the small cost to produce, both m regard to the few parts and inexpensive materials used',''and in re- "gard to the "labor cost in fabricating-said means and in attaching the same to the outside of the trousers. I

gjlhe' new waist-grip means of the invention, in its" presently preferred form, comprises :two sublongitud'inally stretchable strapelement; with such assemblies so carried at the exterior .of the waist portion of the trousers that, 'with' these as- ;seihblies secured to the opposite sidesjo f the trousers and suitably rearwardly extended toward and to the back of the trousersflthe forward ends "or the non-stretchable strap elements may "be overlapped .at' the iront central part of the trousers.

' For further comprehension of .the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following; description and accompanying drawings, and @to the appended claims in which the various novelkfeatures of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a :material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a irontal perspective view of, the upper portion of a pair of trousers in somewhat opened outside of the trousers, to take .care 0f .hisxwa-istsize fluctuations, by expanding and contracting in agreement with the from time to time "occurring expansions and contractions of his waist" -measure.

Another feature of the invention, moreover, isv

that the newwaist-griprmeans is readily .adliustablezby the wearer of the trousers, :in thathe can "take .in or flat out the "trousers zatnth'e Waist-to any one of several amounts in a matter of seconds.

.Aiso among the obrects attained by the invention, and one of eonsiderable importance :to the trousers 'i'nanufasturer, the provision of a V? Fig. '7 is condition with the :fiy closed, :and iproy-ided with a now favored embodiment of the invention.

, -Fig. 2 is a rear 'elevational wiew of :the trousers, spread substantially fiatgat the waist.

Fig. ,3 is, on a somewhat enlaizged .scale, a :substantially horizontal sectionitaken on the line but with the trousers ,materialnolt shown.

Fig. 4 shows, jin outside elevation, and with the non-stretchable strap element partially'broken away, the one of the aforesaid assemblies at the left in Fig. "i and at the right :in Fig. 2,i tha;t is, {the assembly at the right side of the' trousers. viewed as indicated by the arrow 4 of Fig. 11 but imagined spread out flat; to about ?0% :of :full scale.

Fig. '5 is an inside elevation of said assembly, arranged asinFrig-ii.

Fig. Sis an enlarged .detailviem'being' a trans versefsection taken on the line 5-6.;of Fig. 5.

flike Fig. 4, but showing the other assemble; viewed as indicated byrthe arrow] of Fig. .1,

' Referring to the drawing more in detail, a

this view being-drawn wide.

forward of the socket part 22.

responding locations on its non-stretchable strap.

element with the complementary parts .of .said

snap fasteners.

The assembly at the left in Fig. 1 will first.

be described, and referring now also to Figs. 1 5,

this assembly consists of two main units, a longerouter non-stretchable strap 2|, as one of a suitable cloth, and a shorter inner longitudinally stretchable strap 22, as one constituted by a length of textile tape including interwoven rubber strands for rendering the tape stretchable along its length.

For a pair of trousers size 32, the strap 2|, pointed at opposite ends, is 13" long and 1 5 The elastic strap 22, is 6 /2 long and 1;," wide. Because the elastic strap plays a very important part in each, assembly, the elastic strap is of heavy or strong elastic action; such as a fairly heavy so-called lastex strip woven on the bias. i

On the strap 2 I, snap fastener parts are placed and spaced according to scientifically ascertained .data relative to the human body; these snap .fastener parts comprising three socket parts 23,

24 and 25 and two post parts 26 and 21. The socket part 23 is 6" from the back point 28 of said strap, the socket-part 24 is /2" forward of the socket part 23, and, the socket part 25 is The post part 26 is 1" back from the .forward point 29 of said strap, and the post part 21 is 2" back from the post part 25. The dot and dash line 33 in: Fig. 3 represents the center of overlap of the strap 2| and of the corresponding strap of the other assembly when the forward ends ofboth said straps are connected at the front of the trousers by the fastener parts 23-and 2-1 and the complementary fastener parts-of said corresponding strap. The fastener parts 23, 24 and 25, and the corresponding fastener .parts of the cloth strap of the other strap assembly, are the waist-girth adjusting fastener parts.

Attachedto the elastic strap 22, atits outer side, and at its ends, are cover pieces 3| and 32 of non stretchable material, to contribute strength and insure even stretch of the strap 22 'at all points across its width; the piece 3| being all around the same stitched as indicated at 33 in Fig. 4 to the strap at the rear end of the latter, and the piece- 32 being similarlysecured to the strap at the forward end thereof by line of stitching 34 (Figs. 5 and 6). J, 1 3

On the elastic strap 22 there is placed, based on the data aforesaid, the post part 35 of a snap fastener complementary to any selected 'one of the three fastener parts 23, 24 and 25 of the strap 2|, said part, 35 having its post outwardly directed from the strap 22. The fastener part 35, secured at the center of-the piece 32, is at a point along the strap 22 which is the same distance from the rear end thereof as the fastener part. 23 is from the rear end of the strap 2|; that is, said fastener part 35 is spaced 6" from the rear end of the elastic strap 22.

.The rear end of said strap 22 is secured'to-the .The strap 22 having been at its rear end to the trousers, and the strap 22 4 outside of the trousers, at a location thereon as indicated in Fig. 2, as by the length of the stitching 33 which extends laterally of said strip at the rear end of it and of the piece3i and by another line of cross stitching 36 (the lines of application of these two anchoring stitchings for the rear end of the strap 2| being indicated by the small arrows 38 and 39 of Fig. 3) whereby, with the fastener part 35 engaged with the fastener part 23 as in Figs. 4 and 5, and with the forward end-portion of the strap 2| brought around the waist and arranged relative to the dot and dash line 30 as indicated in Fig. 3, the elastic strap 22 is under nostretch. The distance from each back point 28 of the strap 2| to the edge of each elastic strap 22 when sewn on the trousers is preferably therefore when the fastener parts 35 are engaged with the fastener parts 23, the waistline is reduced 1" and when they are engaged with fastener parts 24, the waistline is reduced2f and finally when they are engaged with fastener parts 25, the

waistline is reduced 3".

Two other importantsecurementsof the cloth strap 2| -to the trousers material will be explained in a moment; but preliminarilyv it may be pointed out that for a practical reason the other strap assembly, this as a whole marked 4!) -in-Figs. 1, 2 and 7, should have its elastic strap 22' attached properly at its rear end. to the trousers before the strap 2| is thus attached.

Preparatory to attaching the rear end of the elastic strap 22 to the trousers by stitches corresponding to the stitchesindicated by said arrows 38 and 39 of Fig. 3, the strap 22' is laid around the waist of the trousers-to insure that when the last referred to stitchings are completed said strap 2| will be secured-so as to have a natural downwardly forwardly extended inclination such that with the rear end of said strap cide withthe location of the dot and dash line 30ofFig.3.. secured as above having been similarly secured as already ex plained by the stitchings 35 and 36' and by the portion of the stitchings 33' and 33' adjacently paralleling the stitchings 36 and 36, the other important-securementsof the straps 2| and 2| mentioned at the beginning of the second preceding paragraph may be effected. Whether or not it is the strap 2| or the strap 2|" whichis first thus additionally secured is unimportant.

For example, say it is the strap 2| which is first thus additionally secured. One of these additional securements is, a stitching comprising a lazy-U line of tacking 42-, the: limits of which longitudinally of the strap 2| are l" from the fastener part 25 and 1%,"

from the fastener part 27, as indicated: by the line of Fig. 3 and the two small-arrows, 43 in'that view.

The other of these additional securements is a stitching comprising two. lines of tacking' hl and 45; these tackings, running along and close :15 to the top and bottom edges of strap 2| being extended between the limits of :2" inrear of the fastener part 23 and of :1 from the :rear

end .28 of the strap, :as indicated :by the .line M in Eig. 3 and the two .small arrows #5. in that View. From end to end .of these tackings '44 and -A5.,::and between the material :of the trousers and the strap .21., there is provided a tunnel through which the elastic strap 22 is passed and becomes invisible.

Referring to the assembly 40, for the left side vvof thetrousers, the elements to which are applied reference numerals with iprimes added correspond, respectively, to the elements of the assembly for the right side of the trousers 'to'which are applied reference numerals with-out primes;

and the strap 2| differs from the strap 2| solely in that the former carries snap fastener socket parts 4''! and 48 at the locations where the strap 2| carries the snap fastener post parts 25 and 21,. .The assembly 40 has its strap .21 stitched to the trousers exactly as has been described for 'the .cloth strap 2|, with the stitchings at the :rear end of said strap placed so as downwardly incliningly to attach said end to the rear of the trousers at one side thereof as the rear end of the strap 2| was attached to the rear of the trousers at theother side thereof.

When the fastener part 35 of the elastic strap 22 is transferred from the fastener part 23 to the fastener part 24 of the cloth strap 2|,a-nd the fastener ,part 35' of the elastic strap 22' is transferred from the, fastener part. 23' to the fastener part 24' of the cloth strap 2| the waist becomes 1 smaller than with said elastic strips "unstretched, and when such transfers are made to, respectively, the fastener parts 25 and 25,

the waist is further .reduced by 1" with the elastic strips -unstretched. The elastic straps 22 and 22" remain 'unstretched unless pulls are applied thereto and the portions of the trousers be tween the attachedrear ends of the elastic straps 2'2 and 22' and the attached rear ends of the cloth straps 2| and 2| are drawn together.

the surplus material at the upper part- -of the trousers concentrates itself between the attached rear ends of the elastic straps 22 and 22 and the rear of the two above-mentioned tunnels, and for each forward adjustment of the "elastic straps 22 and 22' such surplus mate rial laps over itself in pleat form, and, because "the securement of the rear end of" each of the cloth straps 2| and 2| is spaced back 1 /2" from the rear end of its tunnels, the elastic straps are free for easy entry into the tunnels without in- 'terference from the pleat formations w'hichoccur.

' With the fly I! closed, the front ends of the cloth straps 2| and 2| overlap each other over a distance of 2", and the fastener parts 4! and 48 are in position to snap, respectively,'onto the fastener parts 26 and 21.

"with expansions and contractions of the wearers body at the waist. The trousers, furthermore, will hang in perfect balance, without the usual sagging which often spoils the appearance of even well-cut trousers. '='-The two strap assemblies extend all around 6 three-fourths of the waist, minus 2".- The uncovered portion of the trousers is at the back, between the two rear end securements of the cloth straps 2| and 2|. This area can be-covered by another cloth strap, to give the app arance of a belt all around the waist. if desired. modification within the invention would be onejin which the adjusting fastener parts 23, 24 and 25, and also the adjusting fastener parts 23', 24' and 25, would be attached, not to the cloth straps 2| and 2| and 'to have their sockets face away from the undersides of said straps, but, instead, to the trousers material with their sockets facing away from the outer side of said material; these socket parts for coaction with the posts of the fastener parts 35 and 35' on, respectively... the elastic straps 22 and 22. f Another modification within the invention would be one in which the elastic straps at their 'rearends are merely detachably secured to the-trousers, as by snap fasteners there employed'.

The new waist-grip assemblies are scientifically graded for every two sizes. .Use of the new waist-grip means will. aside from affording the advantages already mentioned, save the wearer the .expense of having the trousers taken in or let out. as from time to time may be required by changes in personal weight and other physical changes.

'The new waist-grip means can be "used for all types of trousers and slacks, for adults and children; also for womens and misses slacks, skirts and dresses; and likewise for rest "an lounging pajamas. While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to, be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming. within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 1. A belt-type waistegrip means for an apparel garment, comprising two strap assemblies both carried by the waist portion of the garment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly having as its two main units an outer non-stretchable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length than the first-named strap, said first-named,

strap of each assembly intermediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strap to provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in

.each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at the back j 'thereof and at one side of said back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secu-red to the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners in each fiassembly partially carried by each of the two .gstra-ps thereof for locating the point of connection of the forward end of the elastic strap to the first-named strap at a selected one of .I eiveral different distances from the front end pf said last-named strap, and a snap fastener partially carried by each of the two nonstretchable straps near their forward ends, the

-tion of the fastener parts of the last-named fastener. g v

2. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising *two strap-assemblies both carried by the waist"portion of the garin each assembly being extended through'said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at ment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly having as its two main units an outer non-stretchable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length tharr the first-named strap, said first-named strap of each assemblyintrmediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of saidstrap to provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at the back thereof and atone side of" said'back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secured-rte the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners in each assembly partially carried by each of the two straps thereof for locatingithe point of connection of the forward endof the elastic strap to the first-named strap at a selected one of several different distances from the front end of said last-named strap, Land a plurality of snap-fasteners each partially carried by each of the two non-stretchable straps near their forward ends.

3. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising two'strap assemblies both carried by the waist portion" of the garment at opposite sides thereof,eaeh f's1trap assembly hav-i ing as its two main units and outer non-stretchable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length than the first-named strap, said firstnamed strap of each assembly intermediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strapto provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each-assembly the rear end ofsaid first-named strap being secured tothe garment at the back thereof and at one side of said back and-the rearend of said elastic strap being also secured to the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners' in each assembly partiallycarried byeach ofjthe two straps thereof for locating thv point of connection of the forward end of the elastic strap to the firstnamed strap at a selected one of several difierent distances from the front-end of said last-named strap, and means for detachably coupling the two non-stretchable straps at the front of the garment 4. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising two strap assemblies both carried by the waist portion of the garment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly having as its two main units anouter non-stretchable' strap'and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length than the first-named. s"trap, said first-named strap of each assembly intermediate the ends'of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strap to provide a tunnel betweensaid strap and the outer material of the. garment,. saidelastic strap the back thereof and at one side of said back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secured to the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners in each assembly partially carried by each of the two straps thereof for locating the point of connection of the forward end of the elastic strap to the first-named strap at a selected one of several different distances from "the front end'of said last-named strap, both of said non-stretchable straps being also secured to the garment at points ahead of the forward ends of said tunnels;

5. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising two strap assemblies both carried'by the waist portion of the garment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly having as its two main units an outer non-stretchable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length than the first-named strap, said first-named strap of each assembly intermediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along'the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strap to provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said firstnamed strap being secured to the garment at the back thereof and at one side of said back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secured to the garment adjacent'to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners in each assembly partially carried by each of the two straps thereof for locating the point of connection of the forward end of the elastic strap to the firstnamed strap at a selected one: of several different distances from the front end of said last-named strap, both of said non-stretchable straps being also secured to the garment at points ahead of the forward ends of said tunnels, the securement of the rear end of each first-named strap to the outer material of the garment being such as to urge that strap to a downward forward inclination longitudinally thereof toward its front end.

6. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising two strap assemblies both carried by the waist portion of the garment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly having as its two main units an outer non-stretchiable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of less length than the first-named strap, said first-named strap of each assembly intermediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strap to provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at the back thereof and at one side ofsaid back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secured to the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fasteners in each assembly partially carried by each of the two straps thereof for locating the point of connection of the forward end of the elastic strap toflth'e first-named strap at a selected one of several different distances from the front end of said last-named strap, both of said non-stretchable straps being also secured to thegarment at points ahead of the forward ends of said tunnels, the securement of the rear end portion of each first-named strap incorporating a stitching laid down while the rear end of thatv the upper and lower longitudinal edges of saidstrap to' provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at the back thereof and at one side of 'said back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also securedto the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fastener means in each assembly and incorporating one part of such a fastener secured to said elastic strap and a plurality of spaced complementary fastener parts carried by said non-stretchable strap, end means for detachably coupling the two non-stretchable straps at the front of the garment.

8. A belt-type waist-grip means for an apparel garment, comprising two strap assemblies both carried by the waist portion of the garment at opposite sides thereof, each strap assembly hav- 3 ing as its two main units an outer non-stretchable strap and an underlying longitudinally stretchable elastic strap of' less length than the first-named strap, said first-named strap of each assembly intermediate the ends of said strap being secured to the garment adjacent to and along the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said strap to provide a tunnel between said strap and the outer material of the garment, said elastic strap in each assembly being extended through said tunnel, in each assembly the rear end of said first-named strap being secured to the garment at the back thereof and at one side of said back and the rear end of said elastic strap being also secured to the garment adjacent to the rear end of said first-named strap, snap fastener means in each assembly and incorporating one part of such a fastener secured to said elastic strap and a plurality of spaced complementary fastener parts carried by said nonstretchable strap, and means for detachably coupling the two non-stretchable straps at the front of the garment, the means last-named comprising a plurality of snap fasteners each partially carried by each of the two non-stretchable straps near their forward ends.

' AMEDEO GRISANTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,881,704 Langrock Oct. 11, 1932 2,298,381 Horwitz Oct. 13, 1942 2,413,180 Grisanti Dec. 24, 1946 

